The Journey of the Marked (The Miyran Heir Book 1) by Rebecca P. McCray Page B

the species as Plinte. This boy’s skin was much
darker than the girl before, but he still bore the high forehead and upturned
eyes of the species. His dark hair stood but a quarter of an inch from his head
and his sharp eyes darted in every direction. He wore a dark and sturdy body
armor that was thick, but allowed him to move freely.
    Graeliths hunted this boy. The mark
shone brightly even in the dim light of the flickering street lamp. Eros wanted
to help him. Eros needed to help him.
    Moments later, two Graeliths
rounded the corner. They attacked in unison, but two Graeliths were no match
for a Plinte male. After a short scuffle, the two Graeliths lay dead. The boy
returned the swords to his sides and continued down the street at a jog,
scanning the side streets for an escape.
    But the boy was headed toward
danger, not away from it. Graeliths were waiting in an alley farther down the
street and others were coming from the opposite direction. Eros had to warn the
boy or he would surely die!

Chapter 21
     
    “Eros,” Kenrya whispered again and
shook him by his shoulder.
    Eros sat up abruptly, sweat
dripping from his face. His glazed look lasted only moments before he shook his
head and turned wide eyes to Kenrya.
    “Are you all right?” She kept her
hand on his shoulder. “You were muttering in your sleep.”
    Eros breathed deeply and wiped his
forehead. He drew in a quick breath and jerked his eyes around. “What time is
it?”
    “Midnight. We’ll need to leave soon.” She slowly moved her hand from his shoulder. What difference did the time
make?
    “I have to go,” Eros said quickly. He
jumped to his feet and started tossing his belongings into his pack. “The
Graeliths will kill him if I don’t reach him in time.”
    “Who?” What was he talking about? Was
he delirious?
    “The Plinte boy. I saw him. Graeliths
are hiding in the alley to attack him and others are coming toward him from the
opposite direction. They’ll surely kill him. I can’t let them kill another.”
    He wasn’t making sense, but maybe
this was a good opportunity to leave without the others. “I’ll come with you.”
    “No. You should stay with the
others. They need you more than I do.”
    “Perhaps you’ve forgotten the
Graeliths from two nights ago,” she suggested, reminding Eros of the attack he
had handled badly.
    Eros flinched. Then he shrugged and
said, “Come on, then. We have to hurry.”
    “Do you even know where you’re
going?” She began gathering her belongings.
    “A long, wide street with many
alleys to the side.”
    “That could be anywhere in the city.
Think harder.”
    Eros closed his eyes and scrunched
his face. “I saw the Plinte and Graeliths. No one else on the street. Oh! A red
sign with lettering. The sign read ‘Hearmo’s Meats.’” Eros described the sign
to Kenrya and she immediately remembered it. The street was a short walk from
where they were and an even shorter run. They loaded up their gear and turned
to find Lutra awake and standing behind them, arms crossed. They must have made
too much noise.
    “Going somewhere?” he asked.
    Kenrya was reluctant to explain, as
she wanted to flee with Eros alone to rid them of the other two, but couldn't
stop Eros from describing his dream. Lutra woke Arith and Eros explained again.
Arith's skepticism shown plainly on his face, but he agreed they would see if
the Plinte boy existed.
    As others were roused and bags were
packed, Tip exclaimed, “Where’s my gun? I had it in the underground.” He looked
at Arith. “We have to go back!”
    “Absolutely not!” Arith shook his
head. “We don’t have time.”
    Tip sucked in a breath, then
crossed his arms and stared stubbornly at Arith.
    Kenrya rolled her eyes and
pretended to remember she had taken the gun to ensure it was not lost during
the travel. She held it out for Tip. “I almost forgot I was keeping this safe
for you.” She forced her mouth into a tight smile.
    Tip snatched the gun,